Social Media and Divorce
Facebook has woven it’s way not just onto our computers and smart phones, but into our everyday life. Some people cannot get a cup of coffee without 100+ friends knowing what size and where they got it from. For many, reaching into their pocket or purse to pull out their phone and update their friends is just second nature. While it is great to connect to all your friends in such a simple way, it also has some unintended consequences. It may seem like fun to post photos of a weekend partying out of town, but if you owe child support than you are posting evidence that could be used against you.
More and more, social media is finding its way into the courtroom. One innocent image posted could turn into an entire case against you. More so when it comes to divorce.
For example, let’s say your ex-spouse is supposed to pay child support, but claimed they are incapable of paying for it this month due to financial circumstances. Then two days later, a friend reports to you that on the spouse’s Facebook account, are photos of them spending the weekend in Las Vegas. Instead of paying the required child support, your former spouse spent the funds on personal entertainment. Not paying child support is considered civil contempt, and can carry severe consequences as well.
When it comes to adultery, it is even more likely that Social Media will find its way into the evidence folder. Photos, status posts, even comments made on another person’s social media pages could be a sign of infidelity in a relationship. The fact that some of the more popular social media sites have a feature that can post where the photo was taken means that even more evidence can be built from them.
In the modern age, it is actually social media that can begin a divorce. Someone leaves their Facebook logged in on a phone or computer, leaving it open for a spouse to stumble onto a dirty secret. It also opens the grounds for unfaithful spouses to meet someone to cheat with. For some lawyers, it is reported that up to 2/3rds of divorces have Facebook involved in some way, either as the cause of, or as a way to provide evidence to an attorney to use in the courtroom.
This is not to say that social media should be avoided. Social media may be finding its way into the courtroom, but not because it is directly causing divorce. It is simply a tool that can be used to find out if someone is lying or being unfaithful. Facebook and Twitter do not post things about your life on their own, it is what the individual posts that get them caught. So be smart when using social media, and be smart when it comes to divorce. Find an Volusia County divorce attorney like Lauren Koleilat who will use any and all resources to make sure you get the most out of your case.